Archive for March, 2009

I love to play games with perspective.

At the beginning of February, I decided  to counter all the gloom and doom reports by perceiving every present I received, as a symbol of good things to come.

Boy, did I get tested. It took three service calls to convince my furnace that it wasn't an air conditioner. With that out of the way, I discovered that my name and some Chinese characters clicked through to some pretty disgusting pornography. Wow. Do I have to call that a present?

Got that out of the way, and my laptop crashed. I immediately carried my little baby out the door, to the local Tech guy, who immediately recognized me. Two hundred dollars later, I was back in the saddle.

Three days later, on a Sunday afternoon, someone broke into my home and stole my laptop off of my dining room table. Keep on playing.

So, let's get to the presents. I got so many in February, it is crazy….wonderfully crazy. My dear friend of many years brought me a beautiful box from Vietnam.  We have years of shared memories, but presents…..

I returned from lunch and outside my door was a beautiful bouquet from a colleague, left as a thank you, and a complete surprise.

A client sent me a text: I have presents for you: she brought me a beautiful, pashmina scarf, and earrings.  Really, my birthday is not in February.

Next came the unexpected money.

Then I received a case of red grapefruit mixed with honey tangerines and blood oranges. Now this is how to make the juicer in me happy!

An old friend called, out of the blue, and offered right on buying advice for a new laptop.

My nineteen year old daughter slipped into my car and handed me a paper Valentine she had made for me with the kindergartners in her life.  She reported they asked her incredulously, "YOU have a MOM?".

There is more, there is always more……………………… My life is just like yours.  Stuff is happening all of the time.

Now that it has been proven, yes proven, that your thoughts change your brain, you, we, all of us have no reason not to get busy training our thoughts.

I know I just said a MINDFUL, and I am bursting to share everything I have learned in the last few days, but it is going to have to wait.

For now I am passing on a recipe for getting excited about food that is  carotene rich, really good for your brain, and so delicious. Moroccan Stew

Even if you have never cooked, you can make this!

You will need a heavy pot you can put in the oven. If it doesn't have a lid, you can use tinfoil.

Check to see if you have most of these spices: cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander, cardamon,and ginger.

Sweet potatoes, or yams, at least three good sized ones Carrots, four to six Something green, peas, green beans; frozen works (1 cup? 2? you decide?) Olive oil, 1 onion, a red pepper, fresh garlic 1 28 oz can of tomatoes 1 can of garbanzo beans.

When this is baked you will want to eat it with Couscous. You cannot mess this up.

All will be well, even if you do not have everything  listed.   If you need a measurement for the spices, try 1 teaspoon each, but really, playing with the spices is part of the fun.

Quick,what else can you think of that has both garbanzo beans and yams? Yams, sweet potatoes, and carrots are good for your brain food. 

Do I need to say that changing your mind is easier when your brain is working?

Saute  chopped onion with a chopped red pepper, garlic and ginger root powder in olive oil. Add cinnamon (good for you), cumin, turmeric (good for you), cayenne, cardamon, coriander  (This is all good for you!) Now add 1 28 oz can of tomatoes (organic tastes way better here)

Add water. The tomato can half filled works! Now inhale as you stir your creation, and taste it. Do you want a little salt? more cinnamon? cumin?

When you are happy with it………sing ……. Add the garbanzo beans. 

Look at you! Now add the sweet potatoes (big pieces with skins on), carrots and green vegetable. (I have even thrown in a quarter bag of frozen mixed veggies here and lived to tell you, you cannot mess this up!)

Do not be stingy with the sweet potatoes. Cover and bake 2-3 hours at 350.

The last hour bake uncovered. Your home will smell like heaven.

If you can wait, let this cool and then reheat the next day. But you can eat it immediately. Eat it with couscous. OH MY!

You can change your mind about anything?  vegetables? cooking? relationships?

Lisa Crunick

Helping You Change Your Mind!